Obama says cautiously more optimistic about Ebola situation in US

Ebola response coordinator Ron Klain (right) listens while US President Barack Obama makes a statement to the press on the Canadian Parliament shooting after their meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC on Oct 22, 2014.
Ebola response coordinator Ron Klain (right) listens while US President Barack Obama makes a statement to the press on the Canadian Parliament shooting after their meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC on Oct 22, 2014. -- PHOTO: AFP

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama expressed cautious optimism about the Ebola situation in the United States on Wednesday after the US government imposed new screening measures for travelers from West Africa.

Mr Obama sat down for talks with his Ebola response coordinator, Mr Ron Klain, on his first day on the job since he was appointed last Friday. They were joined by other top officials.

Mr Obama, speaking to reporters, said he is confident that hospitals in Texas and Ohio are prepared if cases of Ebola emerged there.

A nurse at a Dallas hospital that treated Ebola victim Thomas Duncan had flown to Ohio a day before she had symptoms of the virus.

The president said modest signs of progress in the fight against the Ebola virus are being reported in hard-hit Liberia.

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